Necromantic

by Cole Vance

When Harold was done using my ass as a dishrag, he stepped back and took a moment to catch his breath. During that time, I began to get a little nervous again. What if he decided to leave me as I was? My arms and legs were already beginning to ache and not just from his whippings. I was beginning to feel like I had been crucified. He could potentially choose to leave me tied up for the duration of my stay, and there would be nothing I could do about it. While I’d escape in the end, he could still make my remaining few hours a living hell.

  Fortunately, that didn’t come to pass. After regaining his composure, he reached down and untied my ankles. Once that was done, sore as they were, I was able to position them so that I wouldn’t fall flat onto my face when he untied my arms, which he thankfully did next.

  “Thank you,” I said sarcastically, once freed.

  “What?” he asked in a mock hurt voice. “Don’t tell me that wasn’t fun.”

  I wasn’t about to blatantly lie...at least about that. Instead, still feeling his residue on my backside, I asked for a towel.

  “Help yourself,” he replied offhandedly, strolling over to the bed.

  Under his watchful eye, I nonchalantly walked to the bathroom and grabbed something to dry off with, catching a good look at myself in the mirror. The body I inhabited wasn’t exactly ugly, but one could easily tell she had seen some tough times. I remembered my earlier thoughts of world-weary. It definitely fit this person.

  Stepping back into the bedroom, while wiping off any excess stickiness clinging to me, I asked, “So what’s the story here. What happened to J...,” Fortunately I caught myself just before saying “Julie.” Harold hadn’t told me her name. Hell, he hadn’t told me any of their names as of late. I really needed to be more careful. Once more, though, I wondered why I didn’t just spill my little secret to him. Wouldn’t that be for the best?

  Again, I wasn’t sure. It was just a gut feeling, I guess. “I mean, what happened to that other girl? She was kind of cute.”

  Harold just shrugged. If he had any indication of what I had been about to say, he didn’t show it. “What can I say; variety is the spice of life.”

  “Besides,” he continued, after a momentary pause. “What does it matter what they look like? I know that it’s you inside. That’s what matters.”

  I was touched. As odd as the statement was, it was sweet nevertheless. I felt my heart melting a little for him. Had I really been angry over something so trivial?

  Keeping up with the conversation, I playfully asked, “Yeah, but what about once I’m gone again?”

  “My interest in them fades with you, my dear,” he replied, looking me in the eye. “I do enough to keep up the charade, then quickly usher them out the door, cab money in hand, if need be.”

  Wait a minute. He hadn’t ushered Julie anywhere except maybe back into bed. Hell, his interest hadn’t seemed to wane either, judging by the daddy-dearest fucking he had given me thinking I was her. I was likewise willing to bet that he hadn’t exactly turned her away once I’d finally departed from her body, the taste of his dick still strong in my memory. Was it because she had been so young and pretty, or was it all yet another lie?

  The next hour and a half would tell me my answer. I just hoped I’d be around to see it.

  * * *

  Harold and I spent the time lying next to each other, mostly just engaging in small talk. As the time of my presumed departure neared, I asked him if he’d like to tie me up again. After all, that’s how this body’s owner had been when I had taken over. He shook his head, though; explaining to me there was usually enough confusion to warrant a slight change in the situation. “Besides which,” he said, “I’m too tired. I think I’ll just ask her to get dressed and leave.”

  I looked down at his body and sure enough, he was still flaccid. Maybe I was grasping at straws.

  Harold glanced over at the clock. I followed his gaze and saw that my allotted time was up. Would I be shunted back to the beyond or would my little switcheroo work? I didn’t feel any different, but that didn’t mean anything. With Harold’s original...mixture, I guess, the change was sudden. It was only under the modified recipe that it happened gradually.

  I figured it was best to act it out, just in case. I’d vacated enough bodies to know how it worked. I could do a fairly good approximation of it from memory alone.

  I shuddered and lay my head down, Harold watching me the entire time. I opened my mouth and said, “I love you.” Then I closed my eyes and lay still, waiting to see if I would actually leave.

  “Goodbye, Lydia,” he replied, and then was silent.

  For some minutes, I lay there, feigning unconsciousness. I counted the seconds in my head. Still nothing. When I was certain my time limit had passed, I let out a breath. It was more sigh of relief than anything, but apparently Harold took it as sign that I was coming to.

  “Darla? Are you awake?” His hands gently rolled me over onto my stomach. “Because I have something just for you.”

  With a start, my eyes opened wide as something penetrated my rear end...my husband’s no-longer flaccid cock.

  Chapter 9

  Harold roughly ass fucked me as if I were no better than a cheap whore. Hell, for all I knew that’s what Darla was. My hair was pulled, my ass slapped, and welts were left up and down my back. All the while, I did my best to pretend to be someone else. I adopted what I hoped sounded like tawdry language, screaming out to him to “Do me like that, baby!” and other such trashy phrases until, at last, he shot his seed deep inside of me.

  “That was nice,” he said, rolling off of me, breathing heavily.

  “I aim to please,” I replied in the rough voice of this body, not really knowing what else to say. Still, an idea began to form in my mind. “You look kind of tired. Want me to hit the road?”

  Harold raised an eyebrow and looked at me. Had I just given myself away?

  “Don’t be silly, baby,” he replied. “That was just the backdoor. I want to try all the other entrances too.”

  I forced a giggle at that. Christ, did other women really dig that kind of talk? “I can’t wait,” I said in a voice that hopefully sounded enthusiastic.

  “Let’s just relax for a bit and then I’ll show you what I mean.” He pulled the covers over him and put his arms behind his head, closing his eyes. Apparently relax was code for pass out. Good. That would give me a chance to do a little more exploring.

  First, though, I decided to probe a little. Harold’s failure to respond to my earlier statement of love hadn’t gone unnoticed by any stretch of the imagination. Sure, it had been difficult to formulate a proper response while he had been ramrodding me from behind, but now that my orifices were clear again, so was my mind.

  “Nice house,” I said conversationally.

  “Mmm hmm,” he murmured in response.

  “Live here a long time?”

  “Yep.”

  “Seems like a lot for just one person. You got a wife, maybe a girlfriend?”

  “Why, you interviewing for the job?” he asked with a chortle, his tone suggesting that he was being dismissive.

  “Not me. I like the single life,” I said, pretending to not notice his attitude. “Just curious is all. This place looks like it’s seen a woman’s touch.”

  “I used to be married,” he replied, eyes still closed. “But that was a long time ago.”

  Okay, now we were getting somewhere. I just had to be careful with how deep I probed. “What happened?”

  “It ended.” He turned over, facing away from me. His body posture said he was getting comfortable. I only had a few more seconds before he would be out. I knew Harold. Insomnia had never been a problem for him.

  “Divorce?” I asked casually, knowing that not to be the case.

  Thus, I was stunned when he replied, “Something like that,” before beginning to snore softly.

  * * *

  What the hell did he mean something like that?! I was tempted to smack him awake and demand answers, but
realized that would be counterproductive. I knew there would be time to dig further later on. Harold hadn’t caught on with the ingredient switch. As soon as he was asleep, I’d be free to continue what I had started last time.

  If I played my cards right, the same scenario would play itself out again for as long as the supply of mandrake lasted. I’d screw his brains out as both myself and whomever I was impersonating (which I had to admit wasn’t entirely a bad thing. I wasn’t exactly suffering in that regard), then, when he was asleep, I’d have some time to try and put together the pieces of the puzzle Harold had become.

  I waited patiently. Unfortunately, just as his snores became deeper, he rolled over and pinned me down with his arm. Fuck! If I tried to pry him off of me, I’d run the risk of waking him up. If that happened, I’d be back to square one.

  I laid there on my back, one of Harold’s arms draped across my chest, waiting for him to move. Eventually I started to get bored. Remembering that I’d soon be shunted back to Never-Never Land, where I’d have to wait until again summoned to taste of earthly delights, I decided to use the time wisely. Reaching down, I began to touch myself.

  I was light at first, exploring what this body responded to. Gradually, though, I began to get bolder. My breathing intensified as I rubbed my swollen clitoris. I began to shift my upper body, feeling my nipples rub against the course skin of Harold’s arm. It seemed he was going to help me out again after all, regardless of his intentions.

  Eventually, I reached down and inserted two fingers into myself while continuing to masturbate with my other hand. It wasn’t quite the same as having Harold inside of me, but it was good enough. I felt a shudder rip through me as my nerve endings caught on fire.

  I tried to hold my breath, despite yearning to cry out, but a small gasp escaped my lips regardless. Right then, Harold shifted. Still in the grip of orgasm, I turned my head toward him. My vision was hazy, all my senses directed toward my lower body, but I could see his eyes were still closed. With a snort, he turned over and began snoring louder than ever, drowning out the heavy sighs still coming from my mouth.

  * * *

  I must have dozed off for a little while after taking care of myself, for when I again looked toward the clock I saw that my time was running short. What should have been three hours of free exploration was now less than one. I mentally cursed myself. Served me right, too. Here I was, jerking myself off like some lonely teenager, when I should have been concentrating on the task at hand. Stupid!

  I slowly slid off the bed. Fortunately, Harold didn’t so much as budge. I tiptoed across the room and out the bedroom door. I wasn’t sure what my real goal here was, but at least I knew not to waste time wondering whether the wallpaper had been changed in the intervening years. First things first, though. I made my way downstairs and into the kitchen. By the time I arrived, I was already breathing hard. I was definitely missing Julie’s lithe body. Whoever Harold dragged me into next, I just hoped she was in decent shape. This body felt like it was only a few packs of cigarettes away from a heart attack. I stopped short at that thought and had to suppress a giggle. How weird would that be if she died and I met her on the other side? Talk about awkward.

  So, I fucked my husband while possessing your body. How’re things with you?

  I pushed that thought away. Hell, hadn’t weirder things happened to me already? Remembering my mission, I walked over to the cabinet where I knew Harold kept his supplies. Opening it, I quickly found the jar labeled “belladonna.” I wanted to try and gauge how long my seven hour jaunts would last. I prayed that I had at least a few more. Much to my pleasant surprise, though, I found the jar almost unchanged from my prior trip. Apparently his recipe, or whatever it was, called for a pinch at most. At that rate, I could rack up the extra frequent flyer miles for quite some time.

  That brought to mind another question, one that I was really curious to know the answer to. I searched the kitchen, looking for something that would enlighten me, but found nothing. I was about to give up when I remembered Harold’s office. What I was looking for was sure to be there. That I hadn’t thought of it immediately probably said volumes toward my need to get my head screwed on straight.

  Still making it a point to keep quiet, I stealthily made my way toward it. Fortunately, the door was unlocked. Why wouldn’t it be? It’s not like he had anyone else living here to snoop on him.

  I opened it and immediately saw what I needed. Harold’s cell phone lay on top of his desk. Picking it up, I marveled at it for a moment. It looked like one of those iPhone things that had come out a year or so before...well, when I died, I guess. I had no real idea how to work it. My last phone in this mortal coil had been an old dinged up Blackberry. Still, I didn’t need to do much with it. There was one big button on the front, so I pushed that, hoping for the best. Luck was with me. The screen lit up and showed me exactly what I was hoping for...the date: Saturday, October twelfth. Finally, I had a reference point.

  Harold had been saying that he brought me back on a weekly basis, but I had only his word to go on. If I could establish a pattern to our summonings, for lack of a better word, that might be useful. How? I wasn’t sure yet, but they say knowledge is power.

  The phone had also given me the time. There wasn’t much left before I was whisked away back to the beyond, but maybe time enough for one more place to explore. I considered this for a moment. I had looked through the entire house, only finding some ingredients in the kitchen. Surely there had to be more to this magic thing than that. But where? The garage? Doubtful. Harold had always liked to park his car in there. A quick look out the window confirmed that the driveway was empty. I doubted there would be much room for a ritual in there with his big old sedan - assuming he still drove one - parked in the middle of it. That left only...

  The basement! Hadn’t I been considering that last time too? Albeit, I was only wondering about how it had been decorated. Still, it seemed like the perfect place. For what, I don’t know. But in the horror movies that I had watched as a teenager, it always seemed that the secret was kept down in the basement. So, what the heck?

  The only thing was, I needed to be quick about it and quick wasn’t exactly this body’s specialty.

  * * *

  The basement stairs were next to the kitchen. I went to open the door leading to them and found it locked. That was a little odd. Still, it wasn’t a deal breaker. I knew Harold. He liked his routines and always put things in the same place.

  Sure enough, I was right. We had always kept a junk drawer in the kitchen. I was happy to see it was as junky as ever. Lying in it, the same as when I had been alive, was a key ring. Good to see there were some things I could always count on.

  I unlocked the basement door with maybe fifteen minutes left in my current visit. It was just enough for a quick peek, maybe more. I flipped on the switch next to the stairs and saw a dim light from below. The lighting in our basement had always sucked. It used to creep me out at night. I had always bugged Harold to fix it, maybe install some fluorescents, but apparently, he had never done so. It would be just my luck to fall and break my...well, Darla’s neck on the way down.

  Luckily for me, I made it down in one piece, which was good because I had no idea what would happen if I died while possessing someone. My initial glance didn’t confirm too much of a difference compared to when I was alive. Off in the corner, was a new washer and dryer combo; top of the line by the look of things. Aside from that, this room contained the same old storage boxes and bins as before. Shivering a little as my bare feet touched the cold concrete floor, I made my way to the far end of the basement where there was another room.

  It was silent down there. Not to sound cliché, but it was quiet as a tomb. I imagined what I would do if I saw a ghost, but then had to laugh. I already was a ghost. Slowly, I walked to that back room, positive it would look exactly the same as out here. In life, I had discussed eventually finishing the basement and maybe turning the entire area into a rec ro
om. However, that had never come to pass. Instead, we had used both rooms for little more than storage of old junk.

  I reached the door and peeked in, dim light from the rest of the basement barely illuminating what was in front of me. It wasn’t much, but it was enough for me to tell that it was unlike any storage space I had ever seen.

  Chapter 10

  There was something drawn on the floor. I couldn’t see all of it, unfortunately, just some dark shapes that led off into the darkness before me. I only got a glimpse of a circular pattern and some lines. That wasn’t all, though. There was something in the middle of the room, something large. It was too shrouded in gloom to make out, but something about it gave me a sense of foreboding. The hairs on the back of Darla’s - my - neck stood up. It felt like that old adage about someone stepping on my grave.

  I reached for the light switch. The room had only a single bare bulb, at least that I remembered, but it would be enough to...

  I immediately froze in place and listened. Was that a noise I’d heard from upstairs? It sounded like a voice.

  Oh, shit, Harold!

  I didn’t matter whether or not I was just hearing things. Either way, I couldn’t chance it. Moving as fast as I dared, I ran back to the stairs, climbing them as quickly as I could. Once I got to the top, I shut off the light and clearly heard his voice.

  “Darla! Hey, where’d you go?”

  “Fuck,” I hissed beneath my breath, shutting the door behind me and taking care to make sure it didn’t slam. I heard footsteps from above. Harold was on the move.

  Thinking quickly, I took a step toward the living room. Shit, the door! I spun back toward it. The keys were still hanging from the lock. I turned it, hearing a click, and then ran into the kitchen. I heard creaking on the stairs. No time to be careful. I threw the keys into the drawer and shut it.

  Racing out, I could hear Harold rapidly descending the stairs. I entered the living room and looked around. What to do? I turned to my right, aha!